Egg pecking is a problem faced by inexperienced farmers. The behavior of birds is influenced by many factors – improper diet, lack of free range, inexperience of laying hens or improperly equipped places for laying eggs. There are many ways to solve the problem of why chickens peck their eggs: adjust nutrition, arrange the chicken coop correctly, re-educate the pest chicken.
Why do chickens peck their eggs and what should a farmer do in such a situation? The answer depends on many factors. There are several reasons for inappropriate behavior of birds:
- improper nutrition;
- attacks of aggression;
Some laying hens can behave aggressively – pecking not only their own, but also other people’s eggs. There are breeds of chickens that are aggressive towards other representatives of the species, and are demanding in terms of housing conditions.
- keeping without walking;
- uncomfortable sockets.
In most cases, it is easier to prevent product spoilage, since it is not always possible to teach a hen to peck her eggs.
Improper nutrition
An unbalanced diet can affect the behavior of chickens. It is worth understanding why the chicken eats its eggs and what to do to prevent it:
- Lack of calcium in the body. It is easy to determine the deficiency of a trace element – chickens glaze only the shell. At the same time, the protein and yolk remain uneaten.
- Lack of proteins. It occurs in the winter period, because the diet of laying hens is dominated by plant components. In the summer, free-range chickens get protein by eating insects and worms.
- Lack of vitamin D. In winter, poultry is practically deprived of sunlight, which is why vitamin deficiency occurs. This can be determined by several signs: the eggs have a soft or fragile shell, chickens often adopt a penguin pose, the claws and beak become softened, the birds have swollen joints, a limping gait appears.
Paddock
A sedentary lifestyle negatively affects the behavior of chickens. If the poultry does not have the opportunity to stretch, peck at worms and dig in the ground, it begins to look for work in the chicken coop, which leads to spoilage of eggs. The problem arises in the winter period, when it is cold outside, there is no vegetation and insects.
Inconvenient sockets
When equipping nests that are tight or too bright, chickens can become nervous. Poor location or insufficient number of places for laying affects the behavior of laying hens. This is why chickens peck at eggs or squeeze them.
Without waiting for the release of a cozy town, laying hens can start rushing to the litter – the products can be crushed by roosters or other laying hens.
The first laying in a laying hen can cause confusion, which will lead to pecking of the eggs. It is recommended to place an experienced hen with young birds. They will repeat everything after her.
If only one chicken pecks – how to calculate it
To determine which chicken stinks, it is necessary to examine each bird. In laying hens with inadequate behavior, the plumage on the head and beak will be smeared with dried yolk.
If it was not possible to determine the “offender” by this method, you can make a fake. For this, a hole is made in the shell of a real egg. Yolk with protein floats through the hole. The empty shell must be filled with liquid with food coloring. The hole should be carefully closed with plasticine. After pecking, the bird will be heavily smeared. This will allow you to identify an aggressive laying hen.
Breeds of chickens prone to aggression
If chickens peck at eggs, the reason may be their aggressive nature. There are several breeds prone to pests:
- Loman Brown;
- Dhaka;
- Leghorn ;
- Yurlovskaya throat;
- Orlovskaya
Representatives of the listed breeds can hatch eggs, because many of them lack the instinct of hatching.
Farmers who breed chickens in large quantities have noticed that light-colored birds and egg-laying chickens are more prone to hatching eggs and aggression. Representatives of meat sectors rarely spoil products.
Methods of problem solving
What to do if chickens peck eggs? The method of solving the problem depends on the cause. There are both the simplest and the most drastic measures.
Debiking of birds
How to solve the problem radically, if the chicken is aggressive, and nothing helps to stop the pecking of eggs? In this case, they resort to debiking – trimming the beak. Animal advocates criticize this method because the bird suffers from pain during the procedure. The hen also feels pain after cutting her beak, when trying to peck at food. As a result, the hen tries not to touch solid objects with her beak.
The procedure is recommended for young individuals who have not yet formed the stratum corneum. At home, nippers or a file are used to trim the beak. At the end, hot metal is applied to the cut site.
This method is rarely used at home. Debiking is used in large poultry farms.
Correct diet
To stop egg pecking, it is recommended to improve the diet of laying hens. For this:
- Foods containing a large amount of protein are introduced into the diet. To saturate the diet with proteins, flour from bones or fish, potatoes, potatoes, cheese is used. It is recommended to introduce products in small portions. You can also use specialized feed for laying hens. A lack of vitamins affects not only the behavior of chickens, but also the number of eggs they lay.
- Shell can be added to the wet mixture. However, it must be ground to a powder state. Chickens do not smell the shell, but large pieces can serve as a sign for birds that laid eggs are also food.
- Products with calcium content can be added to the food of laying hens. These include crushed shells and chalk. Drinkers with milk can be installed in the poultry house.
- It is recommended to introduce cereals, vegetables, greens into the diet of laying hens.
Chicken feed should contain at least 16% protein, an optimal set of minerals, vitamins and amino acids.
Pharmaceutical drugs
If chickens peck eggs, behave aggressively, fight, you can use specialized means. Such drugs are not particularly popular, and few people know about them. It is recommended to use medicine in extreme cases. These drugs include:
- “Methionine”;
- “Ryabushka”;
- “Laying hen”;
- “Vitaminol”;
- “Minin”;
- “Rex Vital”;
- “Biovetin”.
The use of any medicines should be discussed with a veterinarian. A specialist will help establish the exact reasons for inappropriate behavior of laying hens. Without solving this problem, medicines will be ineffective.
Correct lighting
The equipment of the chicken coop is a crucial point. The lighting in it should not be aggressive or bright. It is recommended to use shades with light reflectors directed downwards. This will leave semi-lit places for laying and sitting.
It is recommended to illuminate areas where chickens take sand baths and where feeders are placed. The duration of daylight hours should be at least 12 hours.
Folk methods
There are several time-tested folk methods for eradicating a bad habit in chickens:
- The contents of the egg are poured out through a small hole made with a thick needle. It is recommended to pierce the shell on both sides. A small amount of mustard or hot pepper, mixed with water, is injected into the shell with a syringe to make a slurry. The holes in the shell are clamped, and then the mixture is shaken. Yes, the contents will be evenly distributed along the walls. Deceptions must be placed in nests for several days. The chicken will peck at such an egg, but she will not like the taste.
- Instead of real eggs, it is recommended to put mock-ups made of wood or a plaster mixture. Table tennis balls are suitable. Chickens will try to peck at them. After a few days, laying hens will lose interest in eggs.
If the chicken coop is equipped correctly, the farmer has thought out the diet, then the hen will not peck eggs after trying to peck at the chick.
Preventive measures
To avoid hatching of eggs, it is recommended to properly organize care and feeding. After all, it is easier to prevent the development of a bad habit than to fight it later. Beginner farmers should consider several rules:
- Egg collection must be carried out 2 times a day, especially if the laying hens are deprived of the opportunity to walk in the pen.
- Equip the yard for free walking. This will help distract laying hens from laid eggs. After all, birds always want to peck at something.
- Places for laying should always be clean. It is recommended to change the litter in the nests regularly.
- Make a diet for laying hens and stick to it.
- Adhere to the regime of feeding and daylight hours.
- In winter, it is recommended to hang heads of cabbage in the chicken coop, to install trays with sprouted grass, so that the chickens do not peck what is in the nests.
- If a rooster pecks eggs, it is recommended to send it to slaughter.
- A hatched egg cannot be left in the chicken coop. It must be cleaned.
If one hen pecks eggs, she can be put away for several weeks in a separate room. Many farmers immerse such chickens in water so that the experience of bathing will kill the desire to peck at what lies in the nest. If the above methods of combating a bad habit in chickens do not help, the laying hen will have to be sent to slaughter.